The present invention is directed to control cables for bicycle transmissions and, more particularly, to a cable connector for splicing two cables in series for use with a bicycle transmission.
Internal hub transmissions are often used on bicycles because the gear shifting mechanism is housed inside the wheel hub and is protected from elements such as rain, mud, etc. The transmission typically is controlled by a control cable of the type having an inner wire that slides within an outer casing (e.g., a Bowden cable), wherein the inner wire is connected to a clutch actuating mechanism disposed on the side of the hub. Gear shifting is accomplished by selectively pulling and releasing the inner wire.
When installing or removing the hub transmission, or when changing the control cable, the control cable must be connected to and disconnected from the clutch actuating mechanism. However, the clutch actuating mechanism is usually disposed in close proximity to the hub axle which, in turn, is coupled to the rear fork ends of the bicycle. As a result, there is very little space to access the cable coupling mechanism, and sometimes the entire wheel must be removed from the bicycle before the cable can be disconnected. When the wheel is removed, the cable is still attached to the hub, thus making wheel removal very awkward. Also, some clutch actuating mechanisms have the form of an annular ring disposed around the hub axle. Thus, changing the control cable inevitably requires removal of the rear wheel. This is very inconvenient for the bicycle mechanic.